CCES-managed project reducing apartment boiler plant's energy costs

Climate Change & Environmental Services (CCES) managed the construction management and environmental permitting for a major boiler modernization project for a large apartment complex in N.Y.C. that is saving the company a significant amount of money and reducing emissions. East River Housing (ERH) Corp. operates a boiler house providing heat and hot water to a number of apartment buildings totaling 2,700 units plus a shopping center, which combusted 2 million gallons of No. 6 fuel oil annually. ERH decided the time was right and worked with CCES and a contractor to modernize their plant. ERH replaced one aging boiler with a modern unit and renovated their other two existing boilers, including installing new burners. All burners were low NOx burners with flue gas recirculation. The boilers switched fuels to natural gas, arranging with the local utility to bring a natural gas line into the boiler house. No. 2 diesel oil was to be used as a backup during natural gas interruptions, necessitating the installation of a new tank farm replacing the No. 6 fuel oil tank farm. CCES was hired to perform construction management to address schedule and technical issues with the implementation of the installation, renovation, testing, and all environmental permitting. The new boiler and both new burners were installed and the plant has operated for 10 full months now on natural gas. CCES has assessed the cost savings and emission reductions due to the project. Emissions of pollutants critical in an urban area all markedly dropped because of this project, such as NOx (85% reduction), particulate matter (75%), greenhouse gases (equivalent of removing 5,300 cars from the road), and SO2 (99%). These reductions helped change ERH's permitting status from major to minor, saving them much in fees and other requirements. As for cost savings, in the 10 months of full natural gas service (June 2012 through March 2013), ERH saved $2.5 million (56%) compared to the same period the year before, despite this being a measurably colder winter. The avoided cost savings are $4 million (63%) for the 10-month period. CCES determined that thermal efficiency improved by about 17% (fewer therms needed to meet demand). The project payback, initially anticipated to be about 4 years, will be about 2 to 2¼ years because of the efficiency gains and fuel cost savings. CCES has the experienced technical experts to advise you whether your combustion system can successfully be modernized like ERH's. We can work with you to manage the effort, perform permitting, and measure actual cost savings for you. Marc Karell, P.E., CEM, is the president of Climate Change & Environmental Services, LLC, Mamaroneck, N.Y.